Shenango Valley News

U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly, along with officials from Cleveland-Cliffs Butler Works and United Auto Workers Local 3303, will host a public town hall to address a concerning proposal from the U.S. Department of Energy that could jeopardize 1,300 jobs at the Butler Works plant. The proposal aims to affect domestic Grain Oriented Electrical Steel (GOES) production, which is crucial for the nation's electrical grid. Kelly expressed his concerns stating, "The jobs are at risk due to a Proposed Rule from the U.S. Department of Energy that would undermine domestic Grain Oriented Electrical Steel (GOES) production."

In response to the potential job losses, Rep. Kelly and Rep. Chris Deluzio introduced The Distribution Transformer Efficiency & Supply Chain Reliability Act of 2024, which aims to prevent the implementation of the DOE rule and establish new efficiency standards for distribution transformers. Kelly emphasized the importance of maintaining market opportunities for GOES, highlighting the risks associated with transitioning to amorphous steel, especially considering that major amorphous steel producers are located overseas, including in China.

The town hall is scheduled for Monday, April 1, 2024, at Founders Hall, Butler County Community College, Pennsylvania, at 6:00 p.m. ET. Workers from Cleveland-Cliffs Butler Works and concerned community members are encouraged to attend the event, where further details regarding the potential impact of the DOE proposal on jobs will be discussed.

This initiative comes after Reps. Kelly and Deluzio previously penned a letter to Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm in December, expressing their opposition to the proposed rule. The legislation introduced by Kelly and Deluzio aims to safeguard key domestic steel production and the reliability of the electrical grid.

The proposed DOE rule has sparked bipartisan efforts, with Senators Ted Cruz and Sherrod Brown also introducing similar legislation in the U.S. Senate. The collective efforts aim to address the concerns raised by the proposed rule and protect the jobs at risk at the Butler Works plant.

Media members interested in covering the town hall event are advised to RSVP to Matthew Knoedler at Matthew.Knoedler@mail.house.gov. The community gathering seeks to shed light on the potential consequences of the DOE proposal on the local workforce and the nation's supply chain.